


As They Are

by bendy_quill



Category: Mass Effect, Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-04
Updated: 2017-04-04
Packaged: 2018-10-14 19:52:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10543407
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bendy_quill/pseuds/bendy_quill
Summary: Jaal and Liam share a moment while looking out over Prodromos.





	

Jaal wanders towards Liam more often than not, sometimes out of curiosity but mostly because he enjoys his company.

Things change overnight for him, for everyone truly. For a long time, the angara deal with the kett alone, afraid for their lives but also not afraid to die if it means preserving what can be saved from the malicious invaders. But he won’t deny that there were moments in his life when he thought of the stars and what else lie beyond them. If the kett could find the angara in this world, then something else could come as well.

He never stops pondering if the thought scares him more or fascinates him in ways he can’t fully express.

When the other aliens arrive aboard a ship unlike anything he’s ever seen, he decides he will meet them head on and see which holds true.

The others don’t necessarily avoid him but they do eye him with extreme caution at first. He understands their trepidation but sometimes it feels…alienating to know he is the outsider to a group of outsiders that pierce the veil of his home.

Things calm down eventually and the others open up, but Liam remains constant.

“Hey,” Liam calls over his shoulder, back still facing Jaal as he approaches him on the cliff. He sits on the edge with his legs hanging free, small gusts of cool night air rustling the fabric of his clothes. “I know. Gotta be mission ready first thing in the morning, but sometimes you just have to take it all in.”

Prodromos sits at the base of the cliff, dull lights still illuminating the quiet outpost. Somewhere in all that, an inkling of hope is born amongst the aliens—a fighting chance for just within their grasp as the revelations of their discoveries suddenly become clearer.

“It’s a beautiful thing,” Jaal says, sitting down next to Liam. “Obnoxiously bright, but beautiful nonetheless.”

“Story for the ages, hopefully. It’s hard to think about now, but it used to be nothing but sand for miles until we touched down here. Well,” Liam hums forlornly, “there were others here but things didn’t work out.”

Silence settles between them. Not uneasy but just as it is, sweeping through land with the wind and brushing bits of sand over the cliff.

Jaal steals a glance at Liam for a moment and notes the way he stares so openly upon Prodromos. There is pride in his gaze and some parts disquiet. It’s a feeling Jaal understands very well throughout most of his life—small victories to punch through the despair and a little hope that uplifts through the agony. Living under the kett teaches him a lot of things; anger, hatred, and pain. He laments that the others must acquaint themselves with this feeling.

“You do this often, I realize.”

“What’s that?”

Jaal nods pointedly towards Prodromos. “Take things in. Nothing simply is with you. There’s always something more.”

Liam chuckles. “Isn’t there always? I mean, sure. Things can just be simple a lot of times but, the way things are now, there’s a lot more going on than just simple stuff.”

Liam’s eyes finally snap towards him and, for a moment, Jaal smiles.

“It’s very _angaran_. When you speak, you speak from the heart and you hold very little back. Not many of your people do that.”

“And it still feels weird, doesn’t it?”

“Ah. It’s…more obvious than I thought.”

A hand gently grips Jaal’s shoulder and he appreciates the reassuring gesture.

“It’s fair,” Liam says, lightly squeezing. “Everyone’s still walking on eggshells trying to figure out how to bridge gaps and get things done the right way. Others sort of just make things up on the fly and sometimes it works. Most times, it’s just chaotic.”

“You mean like the outlaws and the scavengers—”

“Nexus leadership, lots of pissed off people, Remnant, the kett—”

Jaal shudders. “Some days, I am glad I don’t have to make all of these decisions.”

“Ah, but you sort of do.” Liam casually waves at the scene before them, of the midnight sky stretching over miles of desert sand, no moon to illuminate the lands but millions upon millions of stars pepper the sky. An outpost full of hope still sleeps at the base of the cliff—an outpost that marks the first step towards a better future for the Initiative. Liam’s grip tightens on his shoulder and Jaal faces him once more. His expression is earnest and his smile is endearing. “You’re here now. That’s a choice you made back on Aya. It’s not exactly what it seems on paper, but it counts for something big. It means you’re doing things the same way we’re doing things—bridging gaps and making shit up along the way.”

The others don’t stare at Jaal for too long. Something about his eyes bothers them. It’s too intense.

Liam’s eyes are the color of the earth, swallow light within those endless depths but still bear only the truth beating in his heart. He doesn’t look away, not unless he needs to, steadfast and honest.

“I wanted to tell you something,” Jaal says evenly. Liam nods once and waits. “I enjoy these moments when we can spend time together, Liam. I sometimes fear that I might be pestering you too much, but you…always seem eager to be near me, just as I am to be near you. I just wanted you to know that.”

A very long pause grips Liam as he stares, mouth opening and then closing repeatedly. Nervous laughter breaks his momentary silence.

“That’s…”

“You are shocked?”

“No…”

“But it’s not something you expected me to say.”

There’s something in Liam’s eyes—as if he is torn and unsure how to proceed. Part of Jaal feels grateful that he must think about what to say. The other struggles to figure out if he should say more, if he should say what his heart truly wants him to say.

For a long time, there is silence and in that silence there are moments that Jaal thinks might be clarity. Liam will look up, stare into his eyes, search for something he cannot seem to see, or maybe he does find it but doubts himself. His hand never falls from Jaal’s shoulder in the meantime.

Jaal touches his hand and Liam stops.

“You humans say you ‘like’ someone when you feel at ease around one another. I understand the sentiment, but it is too broad for me. I like many things but when I say I enjoy being near someone, I say and I mean it. Very seriously.”

Liam swallows. “I think I get it. You’re version of saying you like someone is that you enjoy being around them. Am I getting that right?”

Jaal nods his head. “We are friends and I respect that if that is what you wish. But I can’t deny that, sometimes, I find myself wanting to be around you in other ways. Doing other things.” He looks at their hands, his still resting over Liam’s and, carefully, he shifts them off his shoulder so he can properly interlock their fingers. It takes time at first and they share a few laughs, but when they figure it out, they both let out a deep breath. “Sometimes, like this,” he says, squeezing Liam’s hand. His lifts his free hand and reaches out, pausing first to see if Liam pulls away, and touches his lips with his thumb when instead Liam raises his head. “This way too.”

“You want to kiss me, Jaal?”

Their eyes lock again and in Liam’s, he sees trepidation but also longing.

“Yes. Yes, I do.”

Liam moves forward, tentatively at first, and Jaal holds still. He lets him shift closer with one hand settling on his thigh so he can lean up. It feels like hours pass as Liam slowly presses into him and his heart sings.

A little closer and a little closer. Their lips hover over on another’s and their hooded eyes remain open only long enough to remember this feeling later. His lips are much softer than he thought, gentle and a little timid as they kiss. Jaal cups his face and pulls him a little closer, hums when Liam softly sighs.

Sparks ripple beneath his skin, energy manifesting and passing between their lips. Only enough to leave a memory, to leave a mark of something that Liam will only be able to feel when he closes his eyes and thinks hard enough about this night. Or maybe as a promise of more should Liam choose to pursue this further.

Jaal laughs a little when Liam shudders, their lips parting and bodies pulling back just enough to look at each other.

Liam stares wide-eyed at him.

“Shit. Shit. I was supposed to say I like you too, first.”

They pause for a moment and kiss again, deeper and slower. Just this once, things can just simply be as they are.


End file.
